Clarchie Szeto

Clarchie Szeto
BA’97 (Japanese)
LinkedIn

Could you go into some detail about your career path until now?
After graduating from UBC with a double major in Economics and Japanese, I started out working in the private banking/brokerage industry in Vancouver followed by several different roles in securities trading and financial planning before I found my current passion working in business development for asset managers. Seven years ago, I decided to move from Vancouver to Asia as it was always my dream to work in Asia having grown up in Canada all my life. I now work for a large asset manager in Hong Kong serving some of Asia’s largest financial institutions.

How did you get your first job after graduating?

After graduating I found my first job through the UBC Careers Centre. During those days, the internet was not so readily available so it was through the traditional way of looking through career ads in the newspaper or through campus recruiting. I think graduating now, graduates have a lot more resources such as the internet and a lot of companies are more open to recruiting graduates through internship or graduate trainee programs.

How has an Asian Studies degree helped you in your endeavours?

My Asian Studies degree has helped me immensely as I speak multiple languages including Cantonese, Mandarin and Japanese. Having multiple language skills is a huge asset in today’s global environment and understanding different cultures helps to give you a wider perspective of the world. My role requires me to speak to many people of diverse backgrounds around the globe and especially in Asia as I am based in Hong Kong. My language and cultural studies have helped me to better communicate and work closely with my colleagues in the Asian region. On any given day I could be speaking at least two different languages and my Asian Studies background has also allowed me to better appreciate and understand how and why people work or think a certain way.

Are there any opportunities in your field?

Asset management is one of the many industries that one can consider if you are interested in working in the financial industry. There are many roles from Business Development, Marketing, Product Development, Compliance, Legal, to back office depending on your interests. I recently hired a fresh graduate from a local university in Canada. It was interesting to hear that many students don’t know much about the asset management industry and in general think that being a fund manager is one of the few roles within asset management which isn’t the case. As a fresh grad I think it’s important to keep an open mind and to explore different industries and opportunities so that you don’t limit your opportunities. I think it’s also important to know and understand what your passion is instead of “blindly” following what everyone else is doing.

What can students/recent graduates do to get a foot in your industry?

Asset management jobs are not generally widely marketed. It’s a very stable business and instead of recruiting several students each year, they tend to be more selective in hiring people to keep them over the long term. If you are interested in exploring this area, my recommendation would be to talk to more people in the asset management industry to understand the roles and to see if this is an area that fits your personal interests and personality.

In your field what does a typical entry level position entail?

Generally, the entry level position is a role in which you support or job shadow a senior member of the team. The role allows someone new to the industry to gain a general understanding of the business and to learn about the particular industry he/she is in. For example, the fresh grad that I recently hired comes out with me to meet with clients, helps to coordinate marketing activities and materials, follows up on client queries and coordinates requests with other team members in the Asian region and globally. As a senior member of the team I also give him new assignments and challenge him with new opportunities to help him grow his career. Team work is also quite critical so it’s often encouraged that he communicates openly and collaboratively with the team.

Do you have any other advice that you would like to impart to students/recent graduates?

As a fresh grad you need to keep an open mind while also understanding where your passion may be. Internships are a great way to find out more about an industry or a career to see if you like it or not. It’s also a good idea to also sit down to think about where your talents are and what you enjoy to try to narrow down the scope of work you want to do. Over the long run you will do well and excel in what you enjoy the most.

Can you recommend your favourite location in your region?

I really truly love working and living in Hong Kong. It’s very international and the city is always buzzing with energy.

Vancouver will always be the most beautiful place in the world as I grew up there; but for now, I am very happy to be in Hong Kong and even after 7 years, Asia is still very intriguing for me.